Introduction to Traditional Satanism

An Introduction to Traditional Satanism

Essentially, the difference between the Order of Nine Angles and other groups which profess to belong to the ‘Left Hand Path’ or which claim to be Satanic is that the ONA seeks to realistically guide its members along the difficult and dangerous path of self-development, the goal of which is the creation of an entirely new individual. This path is fundamentally a quest for self-excellence and wisdom.

We believe that there is no easy way to real knowledge and insight of the ‘Occult’ kind – that each individual must walk this path and achieve things for themselves. There are no ‘ceremonies’, no magickal ‘rites’, not even any teachings which can provide the individual with genuine wisdom: real wisdom is only and always attained by the personal effort of the individual over many years. It is the result of a synthesis – a development of the dark side and an integration of that aspect of our being thus creating a complete, more evolved individual. Furthermore, the means to this attainment are essentially practical; that is, they involve the individual undergoing certain formative, character-developing experiences ‘in the real world’ rather than in some pseudo-mystical, pseudo-intellectual ‘magickal rite’ or sitting at the feet of some pretentious ‘master’.

For us, Satanism is a quest involving real personal danger where the individual Initiate undertakes genuine challenges which take them to and beyond their limits: physical, ‘mental’ and psychic. This quest, in its beginnings, involves the individual in exploring their ‘hidden’ or ‘dark’ side – and a part of this is participation in overtly Occult and magickal ceremonies and rites. This beginning – where the new Initiate participates in and later conducts Satanic rituals such as the ‘Black Mass’ – enables the individual to explore this dark side, to gradually understand it, make it more conscious, and thus control it. An aspect of this making-conscious, is symbolism – such as the ’septenary system’ – where various Occult/magickal energies are symbolised in certain ways via a system of correspondences. This symbolism enables the energies dealt with to be objectified and thus consciously understood – this in itself makes possible an integration of the ‘dark’ side. Thus, there is a synthesis – a dynamic, conscious, moving-forward by the individual: an evolution of personality. Insight is gained. In psychological terms, there is the start of “individuation”. This leads to a practical experiencing of the sinister, and thus further personal development, further building of character.

Because of the type of practical experiences, the type of challenges, the individual undertakes, the character so formed is – viewed conventionally – Satanic. There is a defiance of restrictions, a proudness, an experience and then understanding of those things that the religion of the Nazarene frowns upon. In Nietzschean terms, there is a practical living of a “master-morality”. The person created via these experiences is the type to inspire a certain terror/awe in the supine majority, weaned as that majority have been by the softness of the Nazarene ethic.

However, this individual has only begun the process. That is, the type of character so described (which results from these early experiences) is not even what we would call an Adept: of the seven stages of this sinister way (or practical alchemy), this practical involvement in the ‘Occult’ via ceremonies and such things as organizing and running a Satanic group, describe just the first two stages of the way. Furthermore, even this beginning takes some years – and this beginning requires the individual to succeed by their own efforts, by their own will and determination. That is, there are no ‘magickal grades’ or titles awarded for money or sycophancy [as in all other so-called ‘Satanic’ groups] – what the individual achieves, in terms of ‘magickal grades’, they achieve through their own toil, through undergoing the experiences which create the type of character appropriate to a particular stage of the way being followed.

Thus, each stage of this way has associated with it certain tasks, certain experiences, which the individual must undertake by themselves in their own time. It is these and these alone which bring self-insight, mastery, understanding and skill – both ‘occult’ and personal. All the ONA does, at each stage and for each member, is offer advice – based on experience. That is, the ONA guides its members – it offers a practical system whereby real wisdom may be attained. The onus is on the individual to achieve the goal.

For us, Satanism is all about the creation of proud, strong, characterful, insightful individuals – individuals who have gone beyond the majority and who thus represent a higher type. Genuine Satanic groups do not seek subservient, decadent, weak-willed followers. They seek to create a real elite – almost a new race of beings. Of course, this is not easy – it is really dangerous. Quite often, new Initiates fail because of the difficulty or because they lack the essential desire to succeed. But that is how evolution works – the strong overcome challenges and evolve; the others stay where they are, descend, or are destroyed.

Thus, Satanism is élitist – it does not compromise. It is not really for the majority. The tests, the ordeals, the methods of genuine Satanism are tough and severe because only such things will create the right type of person. These things cannot be made easier, less tough, less dangerous: to do so would destroy the essence of Satanism itself.

After the early stages of the way – which involve direct experience of the sinister both via rituals, magickal groups and undertaking certain sinister tasks – the individual moves on [if I said one such early task involved culling, or Satanic sacrifice, it is possible to appreciate the difficulty and danger]. That is, the Satanic novice gains more understanding of themselves, and the world, by more experiences – they move toward a real individuation, a synthesis of conscious/unconscious, light and sinister. Part of this involves them undertaking a specific task for some months, and it is this task – based on the foundations the previous, early, stages of the way have built – that creates a genuine Adept. This task requires the candidate for Adeptship to live alone, in an isolated area, for three months (usually from Spring Equinox to Summer Solstice) – to talk with no one, to live frugally, with no modern conveniences, no wireless, no modern ‘distractions’, in a shelter they have built [in recent years, the rules have been relaxed and a tent is allowed]. The aim of this is for them to experience themselves and Nature without any distractions – to really get to know themselves and the natural energies which exist, as those energies are (and not as books, or ‘teachers’ or theories describe those energies). This, of course, is very difficult. It requires real determination; it requires the individual to face themselves, and all their fears. It is a severe test of character – and of their Satanic resolve.

Most individuals who get this far (and that is not very many, over the past few decades) give up after a while – they find excuses to return to the world and its comforts. The classic excuse is the delusion that they have actually ‘attained’ Adeptship in a few days or perhaps weeks of isolation. And it is a delusion – for it is only by living in such a harsh, isolated way for at least three months that a real Adept is created. Naturally, other so-called Satanic or Left Hand Path groups award a spurious ‘Adeptship’ to their members/followers: or those members/followers award it to themselves, usually after some boring, pompous, totally meaningless ceremony.

The Adept marks the end of the third stage of our seven-fold sinister way – and to reach this stage usually takes three to six years, from Initiation. The task or Grade Ritual which creates the Adept also makes the Adept aware of their unique, personal Destiny – and the fourth stage is all about the Adept seeking to make that Destiny real. This involves a ‘return to the world’ – the gaining of more experience, the creation of new insights, new skills. This in itself takes some years. The character of the Adept grows and deepens – they achieve the beginning of wisdom. In magickal terms, they gain an understanding of ‘Aeonics’ – of things like sinister strategy (the use of acausal or supra-personal energies to change societies/civilizations over centuries). Hitherto, most of their experience/learning has been directly personal, relating to their personal development – now, aeonic perspective is gained, it becomes a part of them. That is, they develop still further, again via direct experience – this time, of the acausal itself.

From this, further personal development takes place – they become complete, highly developed individuals who possess skills and an understanding few possess. They fulfill the potential of genius which is latent within them. Thus, they move on to become genuine Masters or Lady Masters/Mistresses. But to reach this stage – the fifth – takes at least ten years (more usual is fifteen to twenty). And there is another stage beyond this.

Thus, it will be seen that our way is difficult and takes a long time. The journey of the initiate toward Adeptship and beyond has no mystery about it – it is actually very simple. Most people could do it – if they possessed the determination. But the majority are just too lazy or too weak. The same applies to most who apply to join Satanic groups or are interested in Satanism – they go for the easy option; they are not prepared to work at their own self-development. They prefer someone to do it for them. And, furthermore, they are not fundamentally prepared to go to and beyond their limits – to really experience the sinister in a practical way; they want to simply play safe, pseudo-Satanic games. Thus, they gravitate toward what we call the sham-Satanic groups, the poseurs – those who like the glamour associated with Satanism but are basically afraid to experience its realness within and external to them. Thus such groups issue – and believe in! – ethical guidelines as they constantly affirm that Satanism does not condone such things as ‘human sacrifice’.

We, on the contrary, are dark and really sinister – and propound culling. That is, we uphold human culling as beneficial, for both the individual who does the culling (it being a character-building experience) and for our species in general, since culling by its nature removes the worthless and thus improves the stock. Naturally, there are proper ways to choose who is to be culled – each victim is chosen because they have shown themselves to be suitable. They are never chosen at random, as they are never ‘innocent’.

Our affirmation of such things as human culling offends other so-called Satanic groups – which to us just re-affirms our assessment of those groups as pretend Satanic groups. Basically, such groups have little or no real understanding of Satanism, as evident, for instance, in the ‘religious’ approach of the Temple of Set – that is, their claim that Satanism is some sort of religion. To us, the religious attitude and mentality – involving as it does dogma, sycophancy, and subservience by the individual to some self-appointed authority – is the antithesis of Satanism.

In essence, we understand Satanism as the individual quest for self-excellence – to create an entirely new type. This quest involves practical experience – for only real experience creates character. The essence that Satanism leads the individual toward is only ever revealed by practical experience – never by books, never by someone else’s ‘teachings’, never by words. Words themselves can never really describe this essence – they can only point the way, hint at it, and usually serve only to obscure it. In the same way, ceremonies and forms such as rituals are only means – they are a means to experience, to symbolize things and thus apprehend what hitherto has been ‘hidden’ or unconscious or instinctive. Furthermore, this quest is and must be individual – it means the individual develops, via experiences (and sometimes by learning from mistakes) the strength of character needed. Or they fail – usually by deluding themselves about their real level of attainment, their real level of self-insight, their level of self-control and mastery. The aim is self-control, self-mastery, self-understanding – and then a moving-on to what is beyond even this new ’self’. The aim in not a wallowing in decadence, as it is not the encouragement of instinctive, sinister desires/pleasures as an end in themselves. Such things are means, a beginning – to be used, learned from, and then transcended via mastery of one’s self.

For us, Satanism is an individual quest because it aims to produce unique, strong, individuals who do not need the support of groups, of dogma, ethics, a religion, of some pontificating poseur of a ‘master’. Thus, the ONA exists to offer advice and guidance – to point the way. The individual must begin the quest, and they and they alone must continue with it.

Because of the difficulty of our way, few follow it. In some ways, this is unfortunate – for we believe the way offers anyone the opportunity to advance along the path to genuine Adeptship and beyond. It makes real, or can make real, the potential that most individuals possess – the latent genius within. However, given human nature the small numbers are understandable. What the ONA has done – over the past thirty years or so – is to create a simple practical system which works: which can produce genuine Adepts and Masters/Lady Masters. In effect, we have distilled the essence from thousands of years of conscious understanding, producing an elixir, an ‘internal alchemy’, which anyone can use.

We describe this system as Satanic, as Sinister because it is. It is a complete rejection of the philosophy/religion of the Nazarene. The philosophy/religion of the Nazarene is anti-life and anti-evolutionary, as Nietzsche, for example, understood. For us, Satan is both an archetype or symbol of our defiance, and some-thing real – the re-presentation of what we describe as ‘the acausal’. That is, we understand the ‘darker forces’ as not simply a part of our psyche (as most modern so-called Satanic groups do) – but as beyond our own, individual psyche. These darker forces – or the acausal – are beyond us, as individuals: they are beyond our conscious control (and even real understanding) until we become a part of them. This does not mean a submission to those forces – but rather an expanding of individual consciousness, a development of individual conscious, to include those forces. This expansion is what marks the genuine Satanic Master/Lady Master.

Other ‘Satanic’ groups – if they are serious and not just using the Black Arts for their own weak gratification – claim the darker forces are merely an aspect of the psyche, the unconscious or whatever. [Both the Church of Satan and the Temple of Set make this claim.] They do this for two reasons. First, they need to – because they want to feel safe; they want to be able to play their pseudo-Satanic, pseudo-intellectual, games in a mostly urbanized safety, because the members of such groups are not proud, characterful, self-aware individuals: they need the comfort of a group, of a ‘leader’, of ethical guidelines, of feeling that Satan can be controlled by some meaningless mumbo-jumbo. In effect, the members and leaders of these groups are weak – they lack self-discipline; they lack even the desire for real self-mastery, content as they are to continue with edifying their own weaknesses, with massaging their inflated egos.

Second, such groups and their members do not really understand the Sinister. They have had no real experience of the primal, numinous, supra-personal power of the dark forces – of how that power can destroy individuals. In effect, they have never really ‘tapped into’ the acausal itself – to what is really sinister. They have never really confronted Satan. They have never really striven to be like Satan – to become one with Him; to merge with the acausal itself; to become a ‘nexion’ for the acausal, for sinister energies. This becoming-one is what makes, what creates a genuine Satanic Master/Lady Master, as living alone like a hermit creates the Adept. It is dangerous, naturally – but the only means whereby that synthesis which is beyond the synthesis that is individuation can be achieved. There is thus a real, a genuine, transcending beyond ‘good’ and ‘evil’; beyond ‘light’ and ‘dark’. This achievement, as with all real achievements of an Occult kind, derives from practical experience – from a real personal knowledge. Anything else is mere affectation, mere pose.

Other groups have tried to ‘intellectualize’ Satanism – to take away the real experiences by which genuine Satanic character is formed. Or they wallow in the weaknesses of those addicted to impulses they cannot understand and do not have the strength to control. They have tried and continue to try and make Satanism respectable and safe – just another ‘religion’. They fantasize, and play games. They simply do not understand Satanism as a means to create new, more highly evolved, individuals. In reality, the genuine Satanist creates by participating in real life, the dreams, the standards of excellence, the élan which others often aspire to emulate. A genuine Satanist can be like a beast of prey – in real life. They can be and sometimes are, in real life, assassins, warriors, outlaws. The imitation Satanists pretend to be such things – usually by means of some stupid ‘ritual’. The Satanist is sinister and dark, in real life – and then they move on, to new experiences, to even higher levels of understanding until eventually they acquire real wisdom, or are destroyed. Whatever, they will have really lived, ‘on the edge’; they will really have achieved something with their lives. They will have inspired others. They will in some way by their living have ‘presenced’ the dark forces on earth. If they survive – their rewards are their achievements and the wisdom that awaits. If they do not survive, at least they will have done something with their lives.